Customer Support Specialist salary in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area
The Eastern Washington nonmetro area pays customer support specialists less than Washington as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $48,550 a year1: 3.5% below the Washington statewide median of $50,330 and 8.4% above the US median of $44,770. Nationally that is #32 of 520 areas, in the top tenth. About 550 customer support specialists work here, 1% of the Washington total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area against Washington and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Washington (Nonmetro) | $36,780 | $48,550 | $67,330 | |
| Washington | $39,290 | $50,330 | $73,610 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
The middle half of customer support specialists in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area earns $42,410–$58,430. The top tenth earns $67,330 or more, 1.8 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.0 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $16,020 wide, between the figure for Washington ($16,550) and the US figure ($14,910).
What to budget for a customer support specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,780 | $3,065 | $17.68 | $47,458 |
| 25th percentile | $42,410 | $3,534 | $20.39 | $54,723 |
| Median | $48,550 | $4,046 | $23.34 | $62,645 |
| 75th percentile | $58,430 | $4,869 | $28.09 | $75,394 |
| 90th percentile | $67,330 | $5,611 | $32.37 | $86,877 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $9,880 over the median, the 25th only $6,140 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $12,748 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $44,770 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area, and the Washington statewide median of $50,330 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area
At the $48,550 median, a local hire costs about $62,645 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $14,095 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
Our open customer support specialist roles pay $700–$1,000 a month under a direct contract. The one-time fee is $2,5003 with a 180-day replacement; paying through Deel adds $49 a month4. Change any number below to match your plan.
A local hire here costs about 4.7 times as much as a remote hire in year one at the midpoint of our range. From year two, when the fee drops out, it is 5.8 times the remote figure of $10,788. About the candidates: most apply through our assessment platform with a written and a spoken English task; each profile shows the English level (B1–C2); Silkstaff interviews every shortlisted candidate live, in English, before you meet them.
Other roles in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area
Of the 16 roles we track in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area, this one ranks #14 by median pay, between medical administrative assistants ($49,160) and data entry specialists ($46,010). Project Coordinator is the highest at $96,780.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +4.1% | 100 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +1.3% | 300 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 550 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -5.2% | 30 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -13.3% | 710 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #6 of the 16 roles we track in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area (+8.4%), between administrative assistants (+9.3%) and office managers (+7.5%). The typical role here is at +4.6%, so, measured against the US, customer support specialists cost more in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Customer support specialists hold 6.7% of the jobs in these 16 roles in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area, 11.7% across Washington and 16.4% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Washington
Across the 13 areas of Washington with data for this job, the median runs from $45,380 in Kennewick-Richland to $53,550 in Seattle-Tacoma, a gap of $8,170 a year. Of the 8 areas in Washington with more customer support specialists than the Eastern Washington nonmetro area, 6 pay less, the largest of them Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($46,790), Kennewick-Richland, WA ($45,380) and Bellingham, WA ($46,940).
| Area | Median | vs the Eastern Washington nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | +1.3% | 400 | |
| Walla Walla, WA | +0.1% | 150 | |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | +0.1% | 450 | |
| Eastern Washington (Nonmetro) | this area | 550 | |
| Western Washington (Nonmetro) | -0.9% | 870 | |
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | -3.2% | 680 | |
| Bellingham, WA | -3.3% | 1,000 |
the Eastern Washington nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Eastern Washington nonmetro area is #462 of 520 US areas for this job. The market is small, but its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Washington, Denver-Aurora and Portland-Vancouver pay just above the Eastern Washington nonmetro area and Kenosha and Midland just below. All four are within $300 a year of the median in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Eastern Washington nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | +0.2% | 12,720 | pay | |
| Denver-Aurora, CO | +0.1% | 23,560 | pay | |
| Eastern Washington (Nonmetro) | this area | 550 | ||
| Kenosha, WI | -0.4% | 1,000 | pay | |
| Midland, MI | -0.6% | 620 | pay | |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | -23.5% | 560 | jobs | |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | -24.6% | 570 | jobs | |
| Hammond, LA | -28.0% | 570 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Eastern Washington (Nonmetro)?
About $62,645 a year at the median, or $5,220 a month: $48,550 in pay plus about $14,095 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for customer support specialists in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $48,550 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,780, the 90th $67,330, and the middle half earned $42,410 to $58,430.
Is the Eastern Washington nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Washington for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $48,550 against $50,330 statewide. The next area up in Washington is Wenatchee-East Wenatchee at $48,590, the next down the Western Washington nonmetro area at $48,090.
How many customer support specialists work in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 550 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the Washington total of 39,760. 8 areas in Washington have more; the closest in size is Yakima, with about 670.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a data entry specialist in the Eastern Washington nonmetro area?
Yes: $2,540 a year more at the median. The medians are $48,550 and $46,010.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the Eastern Washington nonmetro area?
Our open roles pay $700–$1,000 a month. At the midpoint, with the one-time fee and Deel, year one comes to $13,288, against about $62,645 for a local hire at the median.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4051: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.